


World-Enders

by Tarlan



Category: The Chronicles of Riddick Series
Genre: Angst, M/M, Missing Scene, Post-Movie(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-07 15:14:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12843873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: Vaako was fascinated by Riddick from the moment of their first meeting on Helion Prime.





	World-Enders

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AceAsADHD](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceAsADHD/gifts).



Vaako had taken to watching Riddick at every opportunity, still fascinated by the man who had first caught his attention back on Helion Prime. When Zhylaw had ordered him to hunt down Riddick and ensure he met an untimely death Vaako had obeyed as always but not necessarily because his faith demanded obedience without question. He had wanted to see Riddick again, needing to know why the breeder plagued his thoughts and even his dreams. Riddick was a born killer, a Necromonger at the core of his being rather than through the purifying chambers. Vaako had seen dancers with less grace and none so deadly, mesmerized momentarily when he watched Riddick cut through his soldiers on Crematoria, and only snapping out of his fugue state when he saw Riddick fall to his knees.

Even now he could not explain the powerful force radiating out from the glowing hand-print on Riddick's chest that had thrown all of them backwards. With the fast approaching wall of a fiery dawn he had been forced to abandon all hope of finding out, or risk meeting his own untimely death. The return journey had been somber. Less than half of his men had survived the encounter with Riddick and he had lost The Purifier in the rush to take off before the heat of the sun destroyed the ship. Vaako had allowed the girl to live having seen her fight better than most of his men, and he had quizzed her several times on the way back to the fleet. She had spoken of a dark world where the triple suns set only once every twenty-two years, and of the monsters that hibernated until the world was pitch black. She spoke of Riddick with both love and bitterness, though Vaako could see she had made her own bad choices in life. The purifying chamber had brought her a sense of peace she had not known in her life until then, but once more Zhylaw had shown his poor judgment in trusting the new convert. Both had paid with their lives, which brought Vaako full circle to his new Lord Marshal.

Every night Riddick disappeared into his quarters with two or more concubines to warm his bed, but according to the women Vaako questioned he rarely joined them and even then he took his pleasure quickly. He never closed his eyes, and he never slept, watching and prowling like a trapped animal pacing its cage. Eventually he left the concubines asleep in his bed and moved stealthily through the ship to the navigation table. Vaako knew Riddick was looking for a single world - Furya, the home of his birth - but if he'd asked Vaako could have saved him the time and effort of going through the many worlds conquered and destroyed by the Necromongers. Zhylaw had removed all traces of Furya from the records, fearing a prophecy that would see him toppled from power to an untimely death at the hands of a Furyan.

Vaako had never believed in prophecy until now, but there was no denying the outcome. Of all the human worlds in this universe, Zhylaw had died at the hands of a Furyan just as prophesied, and by the dagger Zhylaw had given Riddick on Helion Prime after Riddick bested Zhylaw's best fighter in seconds. Much to his former wife's displeasure, Vaako had openly acknowledged Riddick's claim on the Necromonger throne. He had studied Necromonger law and nowhere did it state that a Lord Marshal had to be a Necromonger but many, including his former wife, believed it was there implicitly. She had been one of the first to plot against Riddick to have him assassinated, choosing not to share those plans with Vaako for he had already proved his loyalty was to Necroism first and foremost, and to his new Lord Marshal. She had paid heavily for her treachery and would not see Underverse.

He did learn of the Rage of Furya, overhearing the Elemental speak of it to his former wife before she was given a timely death. He learned of a world raging because they were believers; their warriors cheated out of their sworn duty to Necroism, and to this 'verse, by the cowardice of Zhylaw. It was debatable if they had died in due time and would see Underverse.

As Vaako turned to leave Riddick to his search the metal of his armor brushed against the wall. Riddick turned to where Vaako had stood watching him, his silvered eyes offering Vaako no hiding place even in the shadows.

"Vaako." A small predatory smile played about his lips.

"Lord Marshal."

"Didn't think you were one for skulking in the shadows."

Vaako could have taken it as an insult but he remained silent, stepping further into the dimly lit room as Riddick closed down the starmap table. Vaako had recognized the succession of worlds that had floated above the starmap table from his childhood, and realized Riddick was smarter than many suspected. He had been looking for gaps in the conquest history from around the time of his birth, narrowing down the search area. Furya had been Vaako's first battle, a baptism of fire for an eight year old man-child, cutting down men and women with silvered eyes, and convinced he was sending them to a better place. To Underverse, where they would be reborn to a brighter future in a new world, far away from the decay and pain of this 'verse. His first battlefield had almost been his last as he watched the formidable Furyan warriors take down dozens of Necromongers apiece before falling beneath the weight of sheer numbers. He recalled the ax swinging towards him, and the way the Furyan had faltered in its arc when he realized his enemy was but a child. Vaako remembered the Furyan's shock when that 'child' buried a knife deep into his heart. Afterwards he recalled talk of the blood-thirst of Commander Zhylaw, cutting babies from their mother's wombs, and skewering infants rather than allow the Conquest Icon to give them a quick and clean death. It had not made any sense at the time but no one had known of the Elemental's prophesy at the time. Zhylaw buried that knowledge deep.

"I was informed of your presence here," Vaako responded smoothly, keeping his heartbeat and emotions under tight control.

Riddick hummed as if he didn't quite believe Vaako, a tiny smile playing about his lips despite the circumstances. It was a half-truth. Vaako had been informed of Riddick's presence here in the starmap room over a week earlier and he had been keeping a watch on Riddick ever since. Dark smudges under Riddick's eyes proved the women had not lied to Vaako and Vaako wondered how long it had been since Riddick slept more than a few minutes at a time. It wasn't his place to point out Riddick's weaknesses but as First Among Commanders he could assign men loyal to him as guards outside Riddick's quarters. He glanced across at the starmap table but turned back when he sensed Riddick watching him intently. Perhaps it was a testament to Riddick's fatigue that he did not blank his expression swiftly enough, or perhaps it was just Vaako's desire feeding his imagination, but he thought he saw something in Riddick's eyes. The smile was softer, and it had a fondness to it. The air around them seemed charged, crackling, but it was fleeting, and the moment was gone before Vaako could remark or act upon it. He stared quizzically as Riddick walked away, heading back towards his quarters, realizing he was the only recipient of that particular smile.

Vaako hadn't expected to see Riddick again that night but a few hours later he watched as the body of one of the concubines was taken away. He remained neutral in his expression even after noticing the blood pooling on the chair. Fatigue and blood loss gave Riddick a manic edge, leaving Vaako with a shadow of doubt as Riddick held a knife to his throat so he played the one card he had. Furya. Dangling it before Riddick in the hope of seeing the madness fade from his eyes. Vaako ordered out everyone making a note of the concubine who had shouted out a warning to Riddick. She would find favor with one of the higher ranks after this night as more than a lithe body to be used and discarded. He would see to it.

"I will order the healer-."

"No."

Riddick turned his back on Vaako and pulled off his clothing, revealing the bloodied knife wound. If the assassin had intended to sever the abdominal aorta then she had miscounted its position just left of the spine. Riddick hadn't miscalculated though, which was why she was dead and he was still very much alive. Riddick glanced over his shoulder at Vaako, one eyebrow raised mockingly, and Vaako realized he expected Vaako to seal the wound. It took all of Vaako's concentration not to let his fingers falter as they touched Riddick's skin, so warm in contrast to the paleness of his own fingers. Even though Riddick had stepped nowhere near a purifying chamber he did not seem to notice the pain as Vaako closed the wound. It was as if he had been born to it. On the pretext of checking his handiwork, Vaako allowed himself the luxury of a touch that lingered just a few seconds longer than necessary. Riddick noticed but said nothing, and to cover the unnatural silence Vaako spoke up.

"I will plot the course and send Krone, my most trusted lieutenant, with you."

When Krone returned a week later with news of a terrible accident Vaako was tempted to give him an untimely death for not protecting their Lord Marshal. Although he knew he ought to celebrate Riddick's death, knowing it had come in due time, instead he grieved. With no clear successor every Necromonger with delusions of grandeur claimed the throne. Vaako stepped back and let them fight it out, ignoring the calls from his loyal supporters to take what should have been rightly his before Riddick's knife went hilt-deep into Zhylaw's skull. He could not look at the throne without recalling Riddick sprawled on it, looking bored as he listened to arguments over supplies, repairs, and converts, and sometimes mocking Vaako with that smile as he ordered him to deal with the nonessential. As the number of candidates for Lord Marshal whittled down Vaako realized he didn't want anyone else sitting on the throne. He didn't want to kneel down to any man other than Riddick so he quickly dissuaded those still vying for the position, sending them to a timely death if necessary.

Almost one year after Krone returned with news of Riddick's death the fleet reached the threshold. It was a secret location known only to the Lord Marshal, The Purifier, the First Among Commanders, and a few others chosen among the elite, with specially placed navigation markers to show the way. By Necromonger Law only those select few were allowed to gaze upon it and Vaako had not been among their number the last time the Necromongers made this journey to promote Zhylaw to Holy Half-dead. It was beautiful and compelling, pulling the senses towards it, though Vaako wondered if the true draw for him was the knowledge Riddick would be waiting for him on the other side. He had already decided to cross the threshold, seek out Riddick, and never return to this 'verse. He would send back his ship with a pyrodoc ordering them to appoint Krone as the next Lord Marshal. The man was fanatical enough to see the Campaign through to the end of all human life in this 'verse.

As his ship crossed the threshold Vaako shuddered, feeling his very being twisted inside, becoming half-dead. The barren worlds that were barely discernible from the other side of the threshold were suddenly bursting with life, their suns burning brighter. The last planet cleansed by the Necromongers was the first he reached. Zhylaw had abandoned the full conquest of Helion Prime but Vaako could see all of those who had been cleansed in the initial landfall, including Irgun, who looked far different without the weight of his Necromonger armor and the fanaticism of their religion burning in his eyes. He held a small child aloft on his shoulders, and he was laughing joyfully. Vaako walked among the people and no one seemed to truly notice him despite his armor, the crowd parting as if his very body repelled them, or perhaps it was the part of his still living soul that made him seem unreal to them.

Of Riddick there was no sign and despite the teeming masses he knew in his heart Riddick should have been here, alive and whole.

"Looking for me, Vaako?"

Vaako spun round and smiled for the first time in years as Riddick tilted his head mockingly with the same tiny smile he tended to reserve for Vaako. His smile wavered when he realized Riddick was different from all of those around them. Half-dead like him rather than fully alive in Underverse after being promoted to full dead by the accident on Furya. Confused Vaako reached out and placed a hand on Riddick's broad shoulder, feeling muscle and bone. Real like all of those around them and yet Vaako knew neither of them truly belonged here. It could mean only one thing. Riddick was still alive in the other 'verse, and if he was here now then he had become Half-dead too, like him.

"You're not dead."

"I'd ask if you were disappointed but that welcoming smile said different."

Vaako had fallen for Krone's deceit, too wrapped up in his grief to see all the small signs - the soldiers who had accompanied Krone meeting a timely death soon after so none could refute his story, the request to become the Purifier so he would not be a contender for the Necromonger throne. Krone was dedicated to Necroism, his belief in Underverse and the Campaign so ardent Vaako had believed it extended to protecting their Lord Marshal at all cost, but just as Vaako had seen Zhylaw as weak, now it was obvious Krone must have hated the 'breeder' sitting on the throne. Perhaps if Riddick had converted to Necroism, if he had entered the purifying chamber to deaden all pain.

"Krone-."

"Won't be joining us in either 'verse."

Riddick looked as if he was about to add to that but his eyes fixed on something over his shoulder, or rather someone. Vaako had never seen the man before but Riddick seemed to know him, and unlike the others this man wasn't ignoring them.

"Imam," Riddick murmured.

"Lajjun and Ziza. I cannot find them here, my friend."

Riddick looked around him as if for the first time, seeing all the people wearing clothing typical to Helion Prime. Happy, smiling people going about their business as if nothing untoward had happened to them. He saw Irgun, and Irgun looked back at him, at both of them, nodding respectfully before moving off into the crowd with the small child. He looked back at the Imam.

"I'll make sure they get here in due time," Riddick promised.

Imam and the crowd seemed to melt away until Vaako was standing alone with just Riddick in a tiny convergence of streets that radiated away like spokes of a wheel.

"So this is Underverse." Riddick smiled wryly. "Got to admit I thought it was all talk." He moved closer, pressing into Vaako's personal space until they were scant inches apart. He could feel Riddick's warm breath on his face. "Are you all talk, Vaako?"

"I prefer action to words," he replied almost breathlessly before savagely kissing Riddick, gasping when Riddick kissed him back just as ferociously. 

Vaako tasted blood on his lips and licked them as they pulled apart, worrying a small split with his tongue. He noted with pleasure how Riddick's gaze seemed fixed on his mouth as he stepped back. Those Furyan eyes met Vaako's and this time there was no mistaking the arousal in them.

"Gonna go balls deep inside you, Vaako. Gonna put you on your knees and make you beg for it."

Vaako smiled. "You and whose army?"

"Ours," Riddick whispered hoarsely, and the thrill of sharing the Necromonger throne with this man sent shivers through Vaako.

Together they would be unstoppable. Not just world-enders but together they would cleanse the rest of the old 'verse and be rewarded with a place in Underverse, forever.

END  
 


End file.
